Why are there
poor people, when they are willing to work hard, live good, and
do right honestly?
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There is an asumption built into this question. It assumes we have
a right to be financially successful. That if we do the right things,
we'll have money.
This also comes through from something you said at the beginning
of your comment:
"All of the %#@! prayers I have been doing in my life I
should be a rich multi-zillionaress by now."
If you are looking for God to make you rich, you will always be
disappointed. You've mentioned that your life has been hell. Maybe
God is trying to teach you something. Maybe He wants you to learn
that in seeking after the things of this world (wealth), you get
only misery. True joy comes from seeking the things of God--obeying
God.
Your question seems to imply that working hard, living good and
doing the right things honestly are what pleases God... and that
when you please God He will make you wealthy.
All of these are wrong.
What pleases God? When we obey Him because we love Him,
not because we have to or want something from Him.
We want to obey God because we love Him. Where does that love come
from? We love Him because He first loved us. This love is shown
through the incredible gift He has given us:
"For if while we were enemies we were
reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having
been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." - Roimans
5:10 (NASB)
What this verse tells us is that even though we were enemies of
God [everyone who is not a Christian is an enemy of God], God still
loved us so much that He gave His Son to die for us. God loved us
first. He loved us so much that He gave His Son to pay the penalty
we owe for our sin [disobeying God].
"For God so loved the world that He
gave is only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not
perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16
What pleases God is when we accept John 3:16 as true. When we believe
the Jesus did die and pay the penalties we owe for all the times
we've disobeyed God.
Do we then get great wealth? No. It's not about wealth. It's about
serving other people. It's about serving God. It's not about getting,
it's about giving.
Are there rich Christians? Yes. There are Christians to whom God
has given the gift of wealth. And He expects them to use that gift
to serve God and others. But, there are Christians who have many
other types of gifts... and they are expected to use their gifts
to serve God and others. And there are Christians who are financially
very poor.
The reward isn't wealth. There is no reward true Christians seek
for themselves. The reward is finding opportunities to serve and
give to others. The reward is having the opportunity to share the
Gospel of Jesus Christ and
seeing a soul adopted by God into His family.
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